Plea deal discussed in Acton murder case

WOBURN -- A Superior Court judge wants more background on an Acton woman accused of killing her 13-month-old son before she will allow Christina Hancock to plead guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter instead of murder.

In Middlesex Superior Court on Wednesday, Judge Maureen Hogan held a 30-minute sidebar conference with prosecutors and the defense to discuss a possible plea agreement.

While the conversation was confidential, defense attorney Stanley Norkunas said he will be compiling reports and information about Hancock's background and mental-health issues to present to the judge at another hearing Tuesday.

If the judge is satisfied, Hancock could change her plea then.

Prosecutors seek an eight-to 10-year state-prison sentence, while the defense is seeking far less time behind bars.

On the afternoon of May 12, 2010, Acton police were called to 187 Great Road for a report of an unresponsive child. Hancock allegedly told police 13-month-old Kaydn Hancock had fallen from his crib and hit his head.

Police determined the boy was at home with his mother and his 2-year-old sister.

Hancock told police she was awakened by a "bang" and found Kaydn lying on his back on the floor near his crib. When she picked him up, she said, he cried a bit and she changed his diaper. She tried to stand him on the floor, but he was "kind of limp," Hancock told police.

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Hancock said she splashed cold water on the baby's face and tried to feed him a Cheerio without success. She then called her aunt, who is a nurse, and her aunt told her to call 911.

The child was taken to Emerson Hospital in Concord, where he was pronounced dead less than 24 hours later.

The medical examiner ruled the manner of death homicide and the cause of death blunt-force trauma.

Prosecutors suggest a motive for Kaydn's death is that Hancock favored her daughter over her son and that she didn't bond with her baby boy.

Kaydn had minimal contact with his father, Lamar D. Woodward, of Framingham. Woodward hadn't seen his son for several weeks before the child's death.

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